299 Vital gluten as a flour improver.

D. Weipert and M. G. LINDHAUER. Federal Center for Cereal, Potato and Lipid Research, D-32756 Detmold, Germany.

Since a couple of years we observe that the German baking business tends to prefer wheat varieties and respective flours of a medium to lower baking performance instead of flours with very high to high baking characteristics. On the other hand due to an enormous increase in vital gluten availability on the European market this dry gluten may be considered as an improver to weak flours. In an experimental set up vital gluten batches of different origin was added to wheat flours differing in protein content and overall baking quality. The following parameters were assessed: Quality characteristics of basic materials and flour/dry gluten blends, fundamental rheological properties of the relevant doughs, baking performance of the doughs. The addition of dry gluten with a normal viscoelastic characteristic and with a protein content of about 80% (N × 6.25) causes changes as follows: 1.) Addition of 1% dry gluten means an increase in flour protein content of 0.7 to 0.8% and an increase in wet gluten of about 2%. 2.) Addition of dry gluten increases water absorptiom and thus dough yield. 3.) If added in relevant amounts (2–5%) dry gluten improves dough elasticity of slack doughs until achieving a normal status. 4.) Dry gluten improves the baking volume and dough properties, which are reflected as break and shred of rolls in Rapid Mix Test baking trials.